Town Theatre
642 Bridge Street NW,
Grand Rapids,
MI
49504
642 Bridge Street NW,
Grand Rapids,
MI
49504
No one has favorited this theater yet
Opened as the Alcazar Theatre by 1916, it became the Roosevelt Theatre in 1935 and in 1940 renamed the Town Theatre. Seating was listed at 490. This was an Independent until 1950 with bookings being handled by Independent Theatre Exhibitor Services. In 1950 it became part of the Clark Theatre Chain until it closed.
The Town Theatre closed in 1955 and has since been demolished. Any further information on the Town Theatre would be appreciated.
Contributed by
Chuck
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater
Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
Hello. I was born in 1949 and grew up on the West Side, namely Bridge St., Stocking St., 4th St., & 3rd St.. I frequented the old Town Theater for .25 cents a show. The picture posted is not that of the old Town Theater. I believe this photo is of buildings ACROSS the street from the Town Theater (presently Little Mexico is attached to that building in photo). The block the Town Theater was on is on the South side, and though business have come and gone, the building was never tore down. I drive by that block at least once a month if not weekly.
The previous comment is correct. The Town Theatre building is still standing. Its current occupant is a religious institution (possibly a church— the Internet isn’t saying) called the Jesus Evangelistic Center.
Pivot Street View 180 degrees for a view of the building.
There was an Alcazar Theatre in Grand Rapids as early as 1918, when it was mentioned in the February 26 issue of Michigan Film Review. I don’t know if it was this theater or an earlier house of the same name, but the style of the theater’s building was certainly in vogue during the late 1910s.
The Alcazar Theatre is listed at 642 Bridge Street in the 1916 edition of Polk’s Grand Rapids City Directory.
A brief biography of Edward N. Brown says that he was the partner of George Budde in the opening of the Alcazar Theatre. Brown sold his interest in the project to Budde after about eight months, and then built the Fulton Theatre. In 1916, he opened the Stocking Avenue Theatre. The biography doesn’t give dates for the opening of the Alcazar or the Fulton, but as Brown operated the Fulton for four years, the Alcazar could have been opened as early as 1911, and was probably in operation within a year or two of that at most.